Lance Klusener - Where Does He Stand

In amongst the Ricahrds, Tendulkars, Bevans, Akrams and whoever else you call a great ODI player, where does this man stand? It is hard to argue that there has been a better player in ODIs for South Africa than Klusener. But in overall scheme, I personally believe if that he isn't the greatest ODI player (OK, that may be a bit far), he certainly is in the top 5 to wear the PJs.

Lets not just look at it from a 99 WC POV, between 1998 and 2002 he averaged 47 with the bat striking at 90. Stats which are similar to Viv's overall career record. His bowling was also rather good, consistently getting wickets for his team. Although his bowling did fall away in the latter part of his career, his versatility cannot be underestimated - rapid enough to open the bowling, skillful enough to take charge of the death overs and everything in between. His bowling skills can be measured in how often he took a 5-for in ODI - 6 times, nothing to sniff at consdiering the likes of AKram, Lee, Waqar, Murali and McGrath are ahead of him.

While Klusener is obviously not a batsman in the class of a Bevan or Tendulkar (refuse to compare him to a Richards or anyone else from 1989 backwards), his batting remained a thing of quite some extraordinaire, and was indeed often hugely underestimated.

What always disappointed me with Klusener was his bowling, especially later in his career. After his ankle injury in 1998, it's well known that he wasn't the Test bowler he had once been (bowling off-cutters off 5 paces almost as often as he bowled his proper seam-up off the full run) but his ODI powers were never quite as good as I hoped upon seeing him for the first time in 1998.

Had he been a front-line bowler who conceded less runs per over, he'd have a true case for being the most valuable ODI player ever. And while his batting performed an essential role to a level no-one (yes, no-one) has ever matched, that role is still nowhere near so impressive as that of a top-order batsman.

Thought the guy was brilliant TBH. Could win games from no where. He'd walk into every side in the world today IMO.

Originally Posted by Bahnz

I need u like Henry Nicholls needs batting school
He was terrible in that series
I need u like Ross Taylor needed to be fit
He's way better than Henry Nicholls
And now all I can think about is your smile
and that ****** test series too
Losing to Australia sucked and I miss you

I thought he was over the hill in the early noughties. Never quite good enough to be a consistent test cricketer. Very handy lower order bat but lacked bite and penetration with the ball, especially on flat tracks. A gun in ODIs though. But not up with the pace today.

Smith got rid of him from the SA cricket team. Those who like him, blame the fat and clueless SA skipper.

Zulu = one of my fave players. Some of his innings in '99 were insane, such a shame it ended the way it did.

A True Champion - Bob. Rest in peace. 15/04/06"People today have too big a devil and too small a God"
- Stephen Currie"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

Would probably agree with this. Though it is quite hard to compare Klusener to the likes of Imran, Kapil and Hadlee given they played in different eras and that the ODI game evolved significantly in that time.

At his best, Zulu was awesome. A hitting machine and a bloke who could consistently bowl 90mph, hard to find a player who can do all of that. Plus, he was able to do it under pressure in ODI's at least.